Dutch company Mars One has announced its intentions to start a Martian colony in 2023 with the arrival of its first inhabitants, four astronauts who have agreed to live the rest of their lives there. Every two years after that an additional two astronauts will be sent to grow the population and increase the number of team-based board games they can all play when they're not sitting around waiting to die.

The idea is to first send rovers, which will stake out a good site for a settlement and then build out living units. In 2022, the crew will take a "transit habitat" for the seven-month trip to Mars and settle in to their new home. The intention is that the crew will live on the planet for the rest of their lives. Every two years after that, another group will join the settlement to populate the colony.

Mars One co-founder Bas Lansdorp has a very modern approach to funding the project: media exposure. "We will finance this mission by creating the biggest media event ever around it." He said in a company video, adding, "Everybody in the world can see everything that will happen in the preparations and on Mars."

Listen: I've come up with some pretty bad ideas in my time, but this is right up there with the WORST business plans I've ever heard of. I read all their paperwork, and there was ZERO mention of making any money. Isn't that what companies are supposed to do -- make money?! "You Paypal'd them your life savings before investigating, didn't you?" WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK?

Hit the jump for a decent video outlining the project.

Thanks to Conductor Bosh and Jack, who were both going to try out to be astronauts before realizing it was a one-way trip and then they're not f***ing crazy people.

Oh wait. Trip alone would take at least more than 6 months. Never mind ¬_¬

Grant Entwistle

The Mars One idea is a waste of internet tube-space. If we don't have the shipping capacity FOR A SINGLE ROUND TRIP TICKET then we don't have the capacity to send all the raw materials needed to build a colony. Yet.

Yeh, I too comment on things I'm not familiar with. They have preexisting tech companies who already have the equipment to do it. Grant of who gives a hell doubts the feasibility of a plan SpaceX is already working on. Yeh, I'm gonna go with SpaceX.

$18922249

Oh, and in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening and goodnight!

Jamssx

It is scenario of the Movie ' RED PLANET'!

gfelts

And, i don't think it turned out well for them...wait...ya no, it did not...

As long as the other 3 are hot chicks count me in. But it has has to be 3 chicks not 2 dudes and 2 chicks . . . because they'd probably both pick the other guy and I'd go crazy and melt faces with an improvised O2 tank blowtorch.

They will need the sanest people on earth for this. I can't stand being in my room for more than a day. Imagine the rest of your life in a desert eating dehydrated food! It would like jail, no life of crime needed.